Spinal Cord Stimulator Problems
Posted , 47 users are following.
I have had my spinal cord stimulator since May and I am having a lot of nausea. I have to keep soda crackers with me all the time. The SCS was put in after I had ongoing pain after my spinal fusion. I had an injury from an auto accident. I have had issues with the settings put on the control box by the rep as well. I had to push for setting changes to alleviate sharp shock like symptoms as it was stimulating. There is poor follow up by the reps after the SCS are put in. It seems their goal is to sell the stimulators but the patient is forgotten when it comes to legitimate reportable symptoms and follow up care.
4 likes, 221 replies
danielle50661 TreasureNurse
Posted
Here's my outcome....I have the scs implant LOVED IT no pain I was walking like a professional lol. Unfortunately I got septic and they had to remove it a month later via emergency surgery. If you have not had an implant yet I recommend the Biowave PENS not tens unit. It is the same thing but it's external there is no surgery you go through a trial in the Drs office and then if it works they give u a machine for home. There are videos online if you Google it and on YouTube. In so mad I'm not eligible bc the interruption of the pain signals work amazing on me but I am not eligible bc I had an internal scs. I spent most of March in the hospital. I believe my body rejected it.
alan01112 danielle50661
Posted
I'm not sure you've followed my posts, so let me give you the latest. On August 10th my doctor performed another surgery on me and replaced both of the leads from the neuro-stimulator. He had a difficult time removing one of the leads because of a large build up of scar tissue. The surgery took 2 and 1/2 hours. He told me he had never experienced this much scar tissue build up on any of this other patients. The rep from St Jude (now Abbott) tried programming the unit right after the surgery, but was unable to get stimulation on the left side. 3 weeks later, August 29th, he reprogrammed it again and only got a very weak signal on the left side no matter how hard he tried. His explanation was that everyone's left and right sides are different and that I may not feel the burst signal on the left side but that it was working anyway. Ummh. He asked that I call him in about 2 weeks and let him know how I'm feeling, which I will do. I'll give this thing all the chances it needs to make my back feel a good bit better. I'm not sure if I let you know that I was an electronic technician with a designated CET (certified electronic tech), which means I know what I'm doing. His explanation makes no sense to me. Besides, the first guy that programmed this thing a year ago had both sides working, but I still had no relief. You shouldn't feel the burst signal the unit puts out unless it's turned up pretty high, and that's what he did and then lowered the strength so I wouldn't feel the signal. Like I said, I'm going to follow his instructions very carefully and see what happens. Maybe he's right, but I really think I should be able to feel the signal on both sides when turned up high. It's either that, or one of the leads is bad, or maybe there's a bad connection to the stimulator. I'll let you know in the future. I'm really praying this works. If not, I may be at the end of my rope.
alan01112 TreasureNurse
Posted
That is something I've never heard of, but I already have my scs implanted. Does the Pens unit work out of a different frequency range of an implanted Pacemaker/ICD unit? If so, then it shouldn't interfere with the Pacemaker/ICD unit. It sounds like a great option for those who have the option to choose between the two.
alan01112 TreasureNurse
Posted
Please take a look at my new posting. It's been a while and I have some new information.
Brashbuzz TreasureNurse
Posted
I don’t wish to be rude but any idea how I can leave this discussion? I did try to get involved some time ago as was experiencing similar things but was left by the wayside. I have tried starting a discussion on here which was also ignored. I’m not complaining I’m just at my wits end and a little tired of constant notifications when being ‘rejected’ myself so to speak. I have gone through the unsubscribe and switch off notifications steps but I am still getting all of the emails? Honestly, please don’t take this the wrong way, it’s 3:43am here and I am just looking to get out of the discussion once and for all. I honestly wish you all the very best! Thanks so much
Brashbuzz
Posted
Trex01318 TreasureNurse
Posted
I had my st. Jude burst Dr stimulator implanted on August 23rd. 2 weeks later I went back to my surgeon's office to have the Staples removed. The rep from St Jude was there to turn on the unit. She informed me the iPhone remote was on backorder but I would receive it within 48 Hours by FedEx.
That evening while taking off my shirt to get a shower I received a very strong painful electrical shock that went throughout my body. I was terrified by how painful and strong it was and stood there looking at myself in the mirror for about 5 minutes. Then I slowly got in the shower and twice more while getting the shower and washing around my shoulders I was shocked. Then again in my bedroom while attempting to put my shorts on I was shocked again. My hands were numb and tingling, and still are over a week later and the bottom of my feet were hot. The unit came 3 days ago but I am terrified turn it on. I have a follow-up appointment with my spinal pain specialist tomorrow and I've asked the representative to meet me there as I'm going to take the unit then turn it on with their supervision and try to make similar movements that calls shocks at my home and see if it happens again.
Has anyone receipts shocks from there unit??? I have been seeing the spinal Specialists for about a year and then from the very first office visit he gave me a pamphlet talking about the stimulator. Over months spinal injections that were no help at all and pain medication that I'd already been on I agreed to do the temporary trial which was beneficial which led to my decision to have the surgery..
No one, including my doctor, the Reps, the pamphlets they gave me, and the websites I research myself mentioned anything about electric shock as a side effect for having these things put in your body. After it happened that night I specifically Google shocks with stimulator implant and I found dozens of other people that were talking about similar issues. One woman said that every time she sneezed or cough she got zapped.
I would greatly appreciate any feedback. Because as it stands now I am very angry. Had the possibility of being shocked by the unit been presented to me I would not have had the surgery
alan01112 TreasureNurse
Posted
Hello Treasure Nurse. Although I had another surgery on August 10, 2018 to replace the leads that run from the stimulator to either side of the spine, it's still not working. When in Tonic mode I cannot feel anything on the left side of spine so, I surmise either the connection at the stimulator is bad or, the stimulator itself is defective.
I'm surprised about your description of receiving shocks. I haven't had anything like that. Your rep should be able to tell you something.
By the way, if Medicare paid for the surgery, they might not pay to replace the implant. It's been too short a period of time. They usually want at least 6 months or more between surgeries before they'll pay again. If that's the case, and I could be wrong, the manufacturer should pay for the new surgery to replace a defective unit if that's what the problem is.